As a logistics service provider in cold storage, you might ask yourself: ‘what is so specific about cold storage? It’s storage, transportation, and distribution.’ But as a cold store, you will encounter completely different challenges than an ambient warehouse.
For example, your employees cannot stay in the freezer for long and that can harm the productivity of your processes. Also, fresh and frozen goods do not automatically reach your customers safely. For this, you have to meet many quality requirements. As a result, you are constantly dealing with temperature control and management, registration of batch numbers, production dates, and best-before data. In addition, you are always looking for possibilities to maximize the efficiency of your processes, improve your productivity, and of course limit product loss. How do you ensure that you can streamline all these processes effortlessly?
Software for cold storage logistics
Cold stores face unique challenges compared to ambient warehouses. Our Dutch partner Boltrics has developed, in collaboration with the Dutch association for cold storage companies called NEKOVRI, a software solution specifically for cold stores. That is why our 3PL-specific software solution may also bear the name NEKOVRI Dynamics.
All business and logistics processes are integrated into the software. Standardly. From control and temperature management to the registration of batch numbers, production, and expiry date information. But also for purchasing, sales, and finance. In this blog, we discuss the industry-specific functionalities in a nutshell.
Stay on top of your quality without additional paperwork
Chances are that as soon as the goods arrive you check whether there are no damages. But some products require additional quality controls. By linking wireless terminals or tablets to the WMS system, you can check the quality at all times in the logistics process. For example, the color of the product, stage of ripeness, level of acidy, the functional operation of articles, or any damage to a product or packaging. You decide which characteristics you want to check. The results are automatically linked to the relevant goods, items, or batches in the WMS. This way you have registered everything neatly in your administration and accessible.
Monitor the quality with temperature control
What is the temperature in the truck on arrival? Or in which location was a specific pallet stored? As a logistics service provider specializing in cold storage, monitoring the temperature is probably high on your to-do list. Does it turns out that there was a deviation in temperature, then you know exactly which pallets have been stored in that specific cold store. In addition, it becomes a piece of cake to record the values of a sample and to trace which route goods have taken in your warehouse.
Prevent discussion in case of damage
As soon as the goods arrive at the warehouse, the barcodes are scanned (for example) by the forklift driver. Is damage detected? With the app (on a tablet or phone) a photo can be made and a possible description of the damage is submitted. The photo and description are directly linked to the WMS/TMS to the inbound document. Where necessary, an automatic (email) message is sent to the customer, with the photo attached. In this way, you inform your customer as quickly as possible and prevent discussion about the cause or the extent of the damage.
Keep it cool and meet the requirements for organic products
There is increasing attention to organic products. But with that, supervision also increases to ensure that the products that are labeled as organic are actually organic. That is why every company that produces, processes, packages, imports, trades, or stores these products must meet certain criteria. For example, organic products must be stored in such a way that mixing or exchanging with other products is excluded. With our software, you can effortlessly record all data in stock – from tracing items to the way in which you should carry out the procedures.
Guarantee a full track & trace
Products must always be traceable, for example, based on the batch number or expiration date. Luckily, our software enables you to capture the necessary characteristics at various levels. From the master data, such as the article, expiration date, and description. But also the way in which you have to carry out the procedures. Think of measuring the temperature or the acidity level. Capture these data without any fuzz.
Real-time communication and integration with EDI
In addition, as a cold store, you will have to deal with various agencies that focus on the control of the work operated by you. The possibility to integrate your processes, for example via EDI, can save you a lot of time.
Furthermore, more and more goods, especially provisions, are ordered ‘just-in-time’. Integration with your customers and recipients from an open platform, which offers the possibility to communicate in different ways, ensures that you can thoroughly automate your communication. That way you save time for other things.
Data is key
Finally, of course: to measure is to know. This applies to any business, but as a logistics service provider in cold chain logistics, you require a lot of capital. Logically, you want to be able to identify which customers generate money and which cost money. With insight into the turnover rate or the occupancy rate per customer, you know exactly how to operate profitably or you can implement rate adjustments.
A breeze for 3PL Dynamics
In short, with 3PL Dynamics (or Nekovri Dynamics), you can streamline your processes and increase efficiency. Do you want to know more about our software? Or are you curious about what PL Solutions and Nekovri Dynamics can mean for your organization? Contact us here and we will contact you as soon as possible.
